Leadership and Authority

Leadership in the church is not based upon power, but upon authority.  Therefore being a pastor/elder is not a position of power, but a position of authority.  However, it is not an authority inherent in the person, it is a delegated authority because of the position held.  It is delegated from God to the elder(s), and also delegated from the congregation to the elder(s).

It is God who has created the position of pastor/overseer/elder and laid out the qualifications for the office, and it is the recognition by the congregation of those who meet God's qualifications (I Timothy 3, Titus 1) that bring the man of God to that position. So God calls the pastor/elder to that office from the congregation with their approval.

The pastor/elder is to lead, not lord it over the people (Hebrews 13:7, I Peter 5:2-3); and the people are to voluntarily submit to his leadership and follow his example (Hebrews 13:7, 17; I Corinthians 16:16), just as a wife is to voluntarily submit to her husband.

As such, the man of God is accountable to both God and man, as both were instrumental in placing him in that office; and both delegated to him the authority which the office holds.

Now a Saint, no longer a Sinner

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God

has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and

the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through 

faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe...

For as through the one man's disobedience the many

were made sinners, even so through the obedience 

of the One the many will be made righteous.

Romans 3:21-22a, 5:19

Saints is the dominant term in the NT for those who have placed their faith in the person of Christ, and in His finished work on their behalf.  So why are those who come to faith in Christ called saints (hagiois, holy ones)?  Because they have been made righteous in Christ, they have received the righteousness that comes from God (God's righteousness, Christ's righteousness) as a result of their faith.  This is why the Scriptures never call those who have come to faith in Christ sinners.  Yes, while we were sinners (those who practice sin, those who live to sin, those who have a lifestyle of sin, those who spurn obedience to God, those who are called the ungodly) Christ died for us.  Christ did die for the ungodly (a synonym for sinners), but post-salvation we are sinners no longer, we are now saints.  Saints are those who are holy (I Corinthians 3:17), those who practice righteousness (I John 3:7-11), and those who have been freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7, 22).

Yes, we are saints, God's holy ones; and yes we still sin; but we no longer live in sin, and sin no longer dominates our lifestyle.  Instead of practicing sin, we have incidents of sin.  God has cleansed us of our sin (John 13:5-11, 15:3, I Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:26, Titus 3:5) so that we stand holy and clean before Him, and each time we confess our sins He cleanses us thoroughly (John 13:10, I John 1:9)  Our standing before God, our position before God, is one of holiness, the holiness of Christ.  That is why He calls us His holy ones, and has called us to be saints (Romans 1:7, I Corinthians 1:2, II Timothy 1:9, Hebrews 3:1).  

So now fellow saints, let us be like the Holy One who called us, let us be like His Son (the Holy One of God), let us be holy in all our behavior, for this is what we are and who we are called to be.

Simple Ministry

The task of spiritual leadership may

not be easy, but neither is it complicated.

When God called us to serve as leaders in

the church, He did not give us the

responsibility to build the church. Instead,

He gave us the responsibility to proclaim

His Word in order that people might be

transformed into the character of

Christ...

Ministry is really simple; it's a matter

of preaching the Word, loving the 

people, and living our lives as an

example for others to follow.

Glenn Daman

Leading the Small Church

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